Verlander, riding hot streak, wants to pitch in '26

Justin Verlander, who went a team-record 16 starts this season for the San Francisco Giants before registering a win, has fixed whatever wasn't working, is riding a hot streak and now wants to return -- after he turns 43 in February -- for a 21st season in 2026.

"I would hope somebody would offer me a contract now,'' Verlander told USA Today Sports on Wednesday.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner was 0-8 through his first 16 starts, but he has given up only three runs over 31 innings (0.87 ERA) in his past five starts. Beginning with his first win on July 23, he is 3-2 with a 2.17 ERA in his past 11 games to lower his season ERA to 3.75.

"Every day you come to the field for four months, and it's like, 'What's the way out of this?''' Verlander told USA Today Sports about his first-half struggles. "How do I make the adjustment? What do I need to do? What's wrong? Because clearly something's wrong. I just have to try to find it.

"I had a new thought in the bullpen, I took that into the game, and the game results have been what you see. So I'm glad I didn't give up."

Verlander, who pitched seven scoreless innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday but still wound up with a no-decision, has 265 career wins -- one behind Hall of Famers Bob Feller and Eppa Rixey for 34th on the all-time list.

San Francisco had scored three runs or fewer in all but six of his 27 starts this season, and the bullpen has blown a lead in nine of his starts.

Verlander knows, at age 42, that reaching 300 might not be possible.

"I mean, I'm human,'' Verlander said. "I think we all know. Like everybody in this locker room, all of you guys [reporters], and most of baseball kind of understand where I'm at. So, it would have been nice if possible, but again it's that point of the year where we're not playing for individual [stats]. We're at that course of the season where I don't care if I win or lose, I want to give us the best chance to win this, the best chance to sneak into the playoffs."

ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.